The Cassidy Law Firm Blog

A pet owner has filed a Federal lawsuit in New Jersey against an animal shelter that euthanized her microchipped cat within hours after finding it.

The woman was joined in her lawsuit by a Monmouth County SPCA officer. They claim the shelter euthanized close to 400 animals illegally in less than a year.

Lawsuit Accuses Shelter of Violating Seven-Day Hold Requirement

Under New Jersey state law, an animal shelter is supposed to observe a seven-day hold period before putting an animal up for adoption, transferring it to a fostering facility, or euthanizing it. The law provides that all animals, regardless of how they ended up at a shelter, are protected by this seven-day requirement.

The Gloucester County shelter, however, took only a few hours to put the plaintiff's pet to death, despite the fact that it was implanted with a microchip containing the information needed to reunite it with its owner.

Shelter May Have Illegally Euthanized Nearly 400 Animals

The lawsuit alleges that the shelter's animal control officers, one of whom served as Southern Regional Director for the New Jersey Certified Animal Control Officers Association, illegally euthanized not just the plaintiff's cat but almost four hundred other animals over a 10-month period in 2015: 312 cats, 71 dogs, and other small animals, according to a New Jersey state inspection report.

Litigation Includes Additional Claims of Animal Cruelty

The animal cruelty didn't end there. The lawsuit also alleges that the shelter used insufficient doses of euthanasia drugs, didn't adequately monitor the animals receiving the drugs, and disposed of animals without making sure that they were actually dead. The suit accuses the shelter of not training staff properly in the procedures for euthanizing animals.

Animal Owners May Hold Those Who Harm Their Pets Legally Accountable

The bond between owners and their animals is often extremely strong, and cruelty to animals is also cruel to the individuals and families that care for them. Whether you, a loved one, or a loved family pet has been injured through the negligence or wrongdoing of others, an attorney skilled in personal injury law can help you obtain the legal remedies and compensation to which you may be entitled.